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Biggles Goes to War/plot
Chapter 1: Biggles Has Visitors The Maltovian ambassador to Britain, Count Max Stanhauser, calls on Biggles with an unusual request. His country is being threatened by Lovitzna, its larger neighbour which has been supplied with aircraft by a central European power. Maltovia needs Biggles to help set up its air force. Biggles is not inclined to get involved. But just a few minutes after the Maltovian ambassador leaves, Prince Paul Zarovitch, the ambassador of Lovitzna barges into the room rudely and threatens Biggles not to get involved. Biggles sends him packing and tells Algy and Ginger they are going to Maltovia! Chapter 2: Disquieting News The three-pilot Maltovian Air Force is ready to depart but Stanhauser has disquieting news. He has arranged a refuelling stop for Biggles and co. at a place called Weisheim in Central Europe but he believes his communications are being tapped--Lovitzna agents might try to stop Biggles. Moreover, General Otto von Nerthold, the commander-in-chief of the Maltovian Army has been assassinated the night before. Things are moving fast. But Biggles is undeterred and the three Launcester Lance fighters which Biggles has picked as their mounts depart for Weisheim. Chapter 3: Dangerous Ground Over at Wiesheim, Biggles narrowly averts disaster when he discovers that trap wires had been strung aross their planned landing field. Fortunately, Biggles has made alternative arrangements. An ex-RFC friend, Jerry Banham, shows up with a lorry load of fuel and our friends refuel and fly on. Chapter 4: An Unwelcome Reception Arriving over Maltovia, Biggles and friends are attacked by a flight of 5 Lovitzna fighters. Biggles shoots one down. Ginger had been ordered to stay out of the fight but gets involved anyway, contributing a second. Chapter 5: Doubts and Difficulties Upon landing, Biggles and friends are met by General Bethstein, the commander-in-chief of the Maltovian Army. He doesn't appear very enthusiastic to see them and instead curtly asks Biggles why he had started a war which Maltovia was anxious to avoid. Ludwig Stanhauser, the nephew of Count Stanhauser, is, on the other hand, much more welcoming and he takes the airmen to their hotel. The Count had earlier told Biggles that Ludwig was someone they could trust implicitly. Chapter 6: An Unexpected Visitor While resting in his hotel room, Biggles gets a surprise incognito visit from Princess Mariana, the constitutional ruler of Maltovia. The princess shares her doubts about General Bethstein and warns Biggles that he is in great danger. The conversation is however cut short by the arrival of General Bethstein. Biggles hastily uses some pretext to get Algy to entertain the General while he spirits the Princess away first. Chapter 7: On Thin Ice There follows another unfriendly interview between the General and Biggles where the commander-in-chief makes it quite clear that he does not welcome Biggles and his friends in Maltovia. Chapter 8: First Blood Later in the evening, Biggles and co. make their way back to their airfield to make preparations for the morning. They catch someone trying to set fire to their hanger. The saboteur attempts to run to his car and raises his gun to shoot Biggles but Algy shoots him dead first. The saboteur is Colonel Menkhoff, a staff-officer who had accompanied General Bethstein during his visit to Biggles' hotel earlier on! Fortunately the aircraft and all their stores are safe. Biggles had not liked a large conspicuous hangar and had earlier asked Smyth and Carter to move everything into the woodland fringing the airfield. Biggles tells Algy to drive Menkhoff's car with his body in it and leave it somewhere else. Chapter 9: Biggles Makes Some Suggestions Our friends get back to the hotel where they have an appointment with Ludwig to discuss plans. They learn from the innkeeper that General Bethstein is terribly upset to learn that Menkhoff has been killed. Of all places, Algy had left the car in Bethstein's own driveway! With Ludwig, Biggles lays his cards on the table. General Bethstein is most likely in league with the enemy and needs to be brought under control. Biggles suggests that Count Stanhauser be recalled from London and made head of a Ministry of Defence from whom the General must take his orders. Ludwig agrees with this and leaves to speak to the Princess. In the meantime, Biggles outlines his next move. Earlier he had told the General of his intention to patrol the northeast of Maltovia. If the General was a traitor, as Biggles now believed, he would have told Lovitzna. So the Lovitzna Air Force might think their airfield would be unguarded and so send a bomber over. Biggles has plans for it. Chapter 10: Combat! In the morning, as planned, Biggles, Algy and Ginger depart northeast but then wheel back to lay a trap at high altitude over their airfield. As expected, a Lovitzna three engined bomber soon appears. The three Maltovian fighters have no difficulty forcing it to land. The bomber is then loaded up with bombs and our friends take off again. Chapter 11: The Bridge--and a Capture This time their target is the only bridge across the Nieper River, the only road link between Lovitzna and Maltovia. The bridge quickly succumbs to the bombs and, as Biggles had earlier explained to Ludwig, the planned invasion of Maltovia from the north would now be severely delayed. Moreover, their hostile Northern neighbour could hardly complain as one of its own bombers had done the damage. After the raid, Biggles spots another bomber, a Fokker, in Lovitzna colours. Biggles signals it to land. It turns out to be a new aircraft for the Lovitzna Air Force. Biggles tricks the delivery pilot into handing over the controls. A large welcome ceremony awaits the pilot, Biggles says, and he only has to jump by parachute over the airport to entertain the guests and then receive a medal! Now with two captured bombers, our friends return in triumph to Maltovia but are met with distressing news from Ludwig: Count Stanhauser has been kidnapped enroute to Maltovia and is now a prisoner in Lovitzna. Chapter 12: A Blow--and a Desperate Mission Biggles and friends take off again in the big Lovitzna bomber on a desperate mission to rescue Count Stanhauser. Chapter 13: In Enemy Country "Simplicity is the key-note of success," as Biggles tells Ginger. Algy lands in a field outside of Shavros, the Lovitzna capital. Biggles and Ginger head into town on Smyth's motocycle. There they meet up with Gustav, a Maltovian agent whose contact Ludwig had provided earlier. Ginger creates a diversion by crashing a handcart full of crockery and glassware outside the hotel. Meanwhile, Biggles, dressed as a porter, goes inside and frees the Count from the room where he was being kept. Coming downstairs, they bump into Zarovich who runs off to raise the alarm, but Biggles and the Count make it out of the hotel. Chapter 14: Fresh Dangers Ginger is standing by with a car which he has stolen but it has begun to snow and by the time they get to the rendezvous, Algy had been forced to take off. As planned, Algy would be returning periodically to look for them, but he could not do this in the middle of a snowstorm. Count Stanhauser suggests a sawmill by the Nieper River which might have a boat but it turns out to be in ruins. Worse, they are soon forced to shelter in the mill buildings, surrounded by a pack of wild wolves. Chapter 15: A Perilous Undertaking Biggles, Algy and the Count lash together a raft from logs and pieces of old rope and float across the river, just as Lovitzna troops with tracker dogs arrive on the scene. Once across the river and into Maltovia, a Lovitzna fighter spots them and begins to strafe them. Fortunately, Algy arrives in their captured two-seater bomber and drives it off. Algy ferries the Count home first and then returns to collect Biggles and Ginger. On arrival at their home airfield however, who should they meet but Vilmsky, the staff officer of General Bethstein. He has come with troops to arrest them for espionage! Chapter 16: To Die at Dawn Vilmsky cannot find Ginger, who is hiding in the rear cockpit of the aircraft but he settles for Biggles and Algy. They are taken to the army barracks where they are given a sham trial by General Bethstein and then sentenced to be shot by firing squad at dawn. Chapter 17: Ginger Takes the Warpath Ginger calls Lugwig for help but the country is in a flux because General Bethstein is getting ready to launch a coup. Ludwig tells Ginger he believes General Bethstein has gone to his hunting box. Ginger decides to go there. That is where the plot is hatching, he believes. Getting the General is the best way to help Maltovia and Biggles. Ludwig agrees to come along. "Things have been quiet here for too long," he tells Ginger. Chapter 18: A Startling Discovery Ginger and Ludwig arrive at the hunting box in time to see an aircraft make a night landing. Zarovitch alights carrying a portfolio and is met by Bethstein and Klein! Ginger believes that this is an opportunity to catch all the plotters red-handed. He sends Ludwig off to fetch some loyal troops. Chapter 19: Ginger Gets a Prisoner--and a Shock Zarovitch is about to leave, so Ginger ambushes him and takes him prisoner. Count Stanhauser and Ludwig arrive at the head of a large force of soldiers and move in to arrest Bethstein and Klein. The papers in Zarovitch's portfolio are more than enough to convict the two of high treason but now Bethstein tells them that Biggles and Algy are scheduled to be shot at dawn--only half an hour away! Chapter 20: Backs to the Wall Dawn arrives and Vilmsky marches Biggles and Algy out to the execution yard. The firing squad makes ready and time is running out. Just then, Ginger flies over and drops a message. Vilmsky reads it. It is from General Bethstein countermanding the execution. Chapter 21: All's Well Count Stanhauser, Ludwig and Ginger arrive and free Biggles and Algy. They explain how they forced the General to sign the order which Ginger delivered using Zarovitch's plane. All ends well for our friends. Bethstein and Klein are tried for high treason and subsequently executed. Ludwig marries Princess Mariana. Biggles, Algy and Ginger attend the ceremony and are asked to stay to train the new Maltovian Air Force. Some time later, with their mision completed, our friends depart as heroes, but Ginger is, of course, wondering what they will do next. Category:Plot summaries